keynote speakers
Prof. KAYE CHON
Editor-in-Chief, APJTR and JTTM
Editor-in-Chief, APJTR and JTTM
Professor Kaye Chon serves as the Dean, Chair Professor, and the Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. Before his tenure at PolyU, he held academic roles at several U.S. institutions, including the University of Houston, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.
Under Professor Chon's guidance, the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at Hong Kong PolyU has emerged as a global leader in hospitality and tourism management education. For seven consecutive years, the School has secured the top spot in the "Hospitality and Tourism Management" category in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
Professor Chon is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences and has contributed significantly to academic literature. He has authored or co-authored over 200 papers in international journals and professional publications, and has written or edited 12 books. His co-authored book, Welcome to Hospitality, is used as a textbook in over 100 hospitality education programs worldwide. Currently, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketingand the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.
In recognition of his contributions to tourism knowledge, Professor Chon was awarded the Ulysses Prize by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 2011. This prestigious award, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize in Tourism," is given annually to a scholar for their lifetime contributions to the field.
Before embarking on his academic career, Professor Chon gained industry experience in the hotel and travel sectors in the United States. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Georgia State University, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.
Under Professor Chon's guidance, the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at Hong Kong PolyU has emerged as a global leader in hospitality and tourism management education. For seven consecutive years, the School has secured the top spot in the "Hospitality and Tourism Management" category in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
Professor Chon is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences and has contributed significantly to academic literature. He has authored or co-authored over 200 papers in international journals and professional publications, and has written or edited 12 books. His co-authored book, Welcome to Hospitality, is used as a textbook in over 100 hospitality education programs worldwide. Currently, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketingand the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.
In recognition of his contributions to tourism knowledge, Professor Chon was awarded the Ulysses Prize by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 2011. This prestigious award, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize in Tourism," is given annually to a scholar for their lifetime contributions to the field.
Before embarking on his academic career, Professor Chon gained industry experience in the hotel and travel sectors in the United States. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Georgia State University, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.
Prof. OSMAN M. KARATEPE
Managing Editor, JHTI and IJCHM
Managing Editor, JHTI and IJCHM
PhD, is Full Professor of Marketing in the Faculty of Tourism and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at Eastern Mediterranean University. He is also Visiting Research Professor in the Faculty of Finance and Management in Wrocław at WSB Merito University in Poland and Eminent Scholar in the Department of Global Business, School of Global Eminence at Kyung Hee University in the Republic of Korea. He obtained his PhD degree in business administration from Hacettepe University in Türkiye. Dr Karatepe’s research interests are in the areas of services marketing and management, internal marketing, green management and marketing, and strategic management. He is the Managing Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights and the Regional Editor for the Middle East and Africa of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Dr. Karatepe, who has an h-index of 90 according to the Google Scholar citations database, has authored or co-authored over 200 articles in various journals, including Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Information Management, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Cleaner Production, Tourism Management, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Journal of Services Marketing, and International Journal of Service Industry Management (currently known as Journal of Service Management). His recent book, co-authored with Rozkwitalska-Welenc, M., Borzyszkowski, J., Basinska, B. A., Okumus, F. and entitled “Organizational Resilience in Hospitality and Tourism”, was published by Routledge in 2024. He guest edited a special issue with Shi, F. and Okumus, F. on Creativity in the Competitive Service Environment in The Service Industries Journal in 2022.
Dr Karatepe sits on the editorial boards of top-tier journals such as International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, Spanish Journal of Marketing, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and The Service Industries Journal. Dr. Karatepe is frequently shown as one of the most prolific researchers in the field of hospitality management. He has appeared within 2% of the list of the world’s most influential scientists in all career-long and single year databases in the last five consecutive years (2020-2024). Dr Karatepe has 32 years of teaching experience gained at different universities such as Bilkent University, Baskent University, Atilim University, Eastern Mediterranean University, and National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism. His recent courses taught at the undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels are Marketing, Foodservice Marketing, Customer Service Skills, Marketing Management, Strategic Management, Internal Green Marketing, and Quantitative Research Methods. He has supervised 26 master students and 7 doctoral students so far.
Dr Karatepe sits on the editorial boards of top-tier journals such as International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, Spanish Journal of Marketing, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and The Service Industries Journal. Dr. Karatepe is frequently shown as one of the most prolific researchers in the field of hospitality management. He has appeared within 2% of the list of the world’s most influential scientists in all career-long and single year databases in the last five consecutive years (2020-2024). Dr Karatepe has 32 years of teaching experience gained at different universities such as Bilkent University, Baskent University, Atilim University, Eastern Mediterranean University, and National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism. His recent courses taught at the undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels are Marketing, Foodservice Marketing, Customer Service Skills, Marketing Management, Strategic Management, Internal Green Marketing, and Quantitative Research Methods. He has supervised 26 master students and 7 doctoral students so far.
Prof. HONGGEN XIAO
Editor-in-Chief, JDMM and JCTR
Editor-in-Chief, JDMM and JCTR
PhD in Recreation and Leisure Studies (Waterloo), Professor and Assistant Dean of School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Xiao facilitates learning, research and doctoral supervision in areas such as leisure and society, tourism and culture, China tourism, and knowledge development. He is Academic Committee Member of China Tourism Academy, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Encyclopedia of Tourism (Springer), Co-author of Poverty and Prosperity: Tourism in Rural China (Emerald), Managing Editor of Journal of China Tourism Research (Routledge), Corresponding Associate Editor of Journal of Destination Marketing and Management (Elsevier), and Fellow of the International Association of China Tourism Studies (IACTS).
Prof. CIHAN COBANOGLU
Editor-in-Chief, JHTT and JGBI
Editor-in-Chief, JHTT and JGBI
Dean & McKibbon Endowed Chair Professor of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) in the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida (USF), who also serves as the Director of the M3 Center for Hospitality Technology and Innovation. He is a renowned hospitality and tourism technology expert. Dr. Cobanoglu is a Fulbright Specialist commissioned by the Fulbright Commission which is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and World Learning (2018-2021). He is a Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) commissioned by Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP) and Educational Institute of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
He is the Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (JHTT)(SSCI IF=6.4), editor of Journal of Global Business Insights (JGBI), and a co-author of six books and ten conference proceedings. He is also currently serving as the President of Association of North America Higher Education International (ANAHEI). Dr. Cobanoglu served as the chair of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Technology and E-Business Committee from 2009 to 2011 and also a member of CHTP Advisory Council and Editorial Advisory Board of HFTP.
He received “Excellence in Research-Tenured” award from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee in 2016 and 2019. He is the recipient of International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s Stevenson W. Fletcher Achievement Award in 2020. He has taught courses in six different countries. He has been invited as a keynote speaker to more than 15 conferences. He received 13 best paper awards from International conferences. In 2013, he was named as a “Fellow” by Academy for Global Business Advancement (AGBA).
Prior to joining the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Dr. Cobanoglu served as an Associate Professor of hospitality information technology at the University of Delaware. Dr. Cobanoglu is the recipient of University of Delaware’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009 and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s (I-CHRIE) John Wiley & Sons, Innovation in Teaching Award in 2009. He received his undergraduate degree from Cukurova University, Turkey, masters and doctoral degrees from Oklahoma State University, USA.
He is the Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (JHTT)(SSCI IF=6.4), editor of Journal of Global Business Insights (JGBI), and a co-author of six books and ten conference proceedings. He is also currently serving as the President of Association of North America Higher Education International (ANAHEI). Dr. Cobanoglu served as the chair of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Technology and E-Business Committee from 2009 to 2011 and also a member of CHTP Advisory Council and Editorial Advisory Board of HFTP.
He received “Excellence in Research-Tenured” award from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee in 2016 and 2019. He is the recipient of International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s Stevenson W. Fletcher Achievement Award in 2020. He has taught courses in six different countries. He has been invited as a keynote speaker to more than 15 conferences. He received 13 best paper awards from International conferences. In 2013, he was named as a “Fellow” by Academy for Global Business Advancement (AGBA).
Prior to joining the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Dr. Cobanoglu served as an Associate Professor of hospitality information technology at the University of Delaware. Dr. Cobanoglu is the recipient of University of Delaware’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009 and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s (I-CHRIE) John Wiley & Sons, Innovation in Teaching Award in 2009. He received his undergraduate degree from Cukurova University, Turkey, masters and doctoral degrees from Oklahoma State University, USA.
Prof. DOGAN GURSOY
Editor-in-Chief of JHMM
Editor-in-Chief of JHMM
Dr. Dogan Gursoy is Regents Professor and Taco Bell Distinguished Professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management, Carson College of Business at Washington State University. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management (SSCI IF: 11.9). Dr Gursoy has published over 200 research publications in refereed journals and 12 books. The scientific impact of his publications is evident in the cumulative h-index of over 100 and over 45,000 citations (google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=p9ndUsYAAAAJ&hl=en). He is recognized and consistently ranked as one of the most prolific hospitality and tourism scholars worldwide. He is the recipient of the ICHRIE Lifetime Research Achievement Award and the Michael D. Olsen Research Achievement Award. Dr. Gursoy is also one of the few hospitality and tourism scholars who received the Highly Cited Researcher Award and Recognition from Clarivate in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. According to Clarivate, the Highly Cited Researcher Award recognizes the true pioneers in their fields over the last decade, demonstrated by the production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science. Clarivate states that of the world’s scientists and social scientists, Highly Cited Researchers truly are one in 1,000. As a leading hospitality and tourism scholar, Dr. Gursoy focuses on topics such as use of artificially intelligent devices in service delivery, sustainability, services management, tourist behavior, and hospitality and tourism marketing.
Workshop
Prof. KAYE CHON
Professor Kaye Chon serves as the Dean, Chair Professor, and the Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management. Before his tenure at PolyU, he held academic roles at several U.S. institutions, including the University of Houston, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.
Under Professor Chon's guidance, the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at Hong Kong PolyU has emerged as a global leader in hospitality and tourism management education. For seven consecutive years, the School has secured the top spot in the "Hospitality and Tourism Management" category in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
Professor Chon is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences and has contributed significantly to academic literature. He has authored or co-authored over 200 papers in international journals and professional publications, and has written or edited 12 books. His co-authored book, Welcome to Hospitality, is used as a textbook in over 100 hospitality education programs worldwide. Currently, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketingand the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.
In recognition of his contributions to tourism knowledge, Professor Chon was awarded the Ulysses Prize by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 2011. This prestigious award, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize in Tourism," is given annually to a scholar for their lifetime contributions to the field.
Before embarking on his academic career, Professor Chon gained industry experience in the hotel and travel sectors in the United States. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Georgia State University, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.
Under Professor Chon's guidance, the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at Hong Kong PolyU has emerged as a global leader in hospitality and tourism management education. For seven consecutive years, the School has secured the top spot in the "Hospitality and Tourism Management" category in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
Professor Chon is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences and has contributed significantly to academic literature. He has authored or co-authored over 200 papers in international journals and professional publications, and has written or edited 12 books. His co-authored book, Welcome to Hospitality, is used as a textbook in over 100 hospitality education programs worldwide. Currently, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketingand the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.
In recognition of his contributions to tourism knowledge, Professor Chon was awarded the Ulysses Prize by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 2011. This prestigious award, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize in Tourism," is given annually to a scholar for their lifetime contributions to the field.
Before embarking on his academic career, Professor Chon gained industry experience in the hotel and travel sectors in the United States. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Georgia State University, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, and Virginia Tech.
Prof. OSMAN M. KARATEPE
PhD, is Full Professor of Marketing in the Faculty of Tourism and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at Eastern Mediterranean University. He is also Visiting Research Professor in the Faculty of Finance and Management in Wrocław at WSB Merito University in Poland and Eminent Scholar in the Department of Global Business, School of Global Eminence at Kyung Hee University in the Republic of Korea. He obtained his PhD degree in business administration from Hacettepe University in Türkiye. Dr Karatepe’s research interests are in the areas of services marketing and management, internal marketing, green management and marketing, and strategic management. He is the Managing Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights and the Regional Editor for the Middle East and Africa of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. Dr. Karatepe, who has an h-index of 90 according to the Google Scholar citations database, has authored or co-authored over 200 articles in various journals, including Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Information Management, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Cleaner Production, Tourism Management, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Journal of Services Marketing, and International Journal of Service Industry Management (currently known as Journal of Service Management). His recent book, co-authored with Rozkwitalska-Welenc, M., Borzyszkowski, J., Basinska, B. A., Okumus, F. and entitled “Organizational Resilience in Hospitality and Tourism”, was published by Routledge in 2024. He guest edited a special issue with Shi, F. and Okumus, F. on Creativity in the Competitive Service Environment in The Service Industries Journal in 2022.
Dr Karatepe sits on the editorial boards of top-tier journals such as International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, Spanish Journal of Marketing, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and The Service Industries Journal. Dr. Karatepe is frequently shown as one of the most prolific researchers in the field of hospitality management. He has appeared within 2% of the list of the world’s most influential scientists in all career-long and single year databases in the last five consecutive years (2020-2024). Dr Karatepe has 32 years of teaching experience gained at different universities such as Bilkent University, Baskent University, Atilim University, Eastern Mediterranean University, and National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism. His recent courses taught at the undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels are Marketing, Foodservice Marketing, Customer Service Skills, Marketing Management, Strategic Management, Internal Green Marketing, and Quantitative Research Methods. He has supervised 26 master students and 7 doctoral students so far.
Dr Karatepe sits on the editorial boards of top-tier journals such as International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, Spanish Journal of Marketing, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and The Service Industries Journal. Dr. Karatepe is frequently shown as one of the most prolific researchers in the field of hospitality management. He has appeared within 2% of the list of the world’s most influential scientists in all career-long and single year databases in the last five consecutive years (2020-2024). Dr Karatepe has 32 years of teaching experience gained at different universities such as Bilkent University, Baskent University, Atilim University, Eastern Mediterranean University, and National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism. His recent courses taught at the undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels are Marketing, Foodservice Marketing, Customer Service Skills, Marketing Management, Strategic Management, Internal Green Marketing, and Quantitative Research Methods. He has supervised 26 master students and 7 doctoral students so far.
Prof. HONGGEN XIAO
PhD in Recreation and Leisure Studies (Waterloo), Professor and Assistant Dean of School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Xiao facilitates learning, research and doctoral supervision in areas such as leisure and society, tourism and culture, China tourism, and knowledge development. He is Academic Committee Member of China Tourism Academy, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Encyclopedia of Tourism (Springer), Co-author of Poverty and Prosperity: Tourism in Rural China (Emerald), Managing Editor of Journal of China Tourism Research (Routledge), Corresponding Associate Editor of Journal of Destination Marketing and Management (Elsevier), and Fellow of the International Association of China Tourism Studies (IACTS).
Prof. CIHAN COBANOGLU
Dean & McKibbon Endowed Chair Professor of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) in the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida (USF), who also serves as the Director of the M3 Center for Hospitality Technology and Innovation. He is a renowned hospitality and tourism technology expert. Dr. Cobanoglu is a Fulbright Specialist commissioned by the Fulbright Commission which is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and World Learning (2018-2021). He is a Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP) commissioned by Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP) and Educational Institute of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
He is the Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (JHTT)(SSCI IF=6.4), editor of Journal of Global Business Insights (JGBI), and a co-author of six books and ten conference proceedings. He is also currently serving as the President of Association of North America Higher Education International (ANAHEI). Dr. Cobanoglu served as the chair of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Technology and E-Business Committee from 2009 to 2011 and also a member of CHTP Advisory Council and Editorial Advisory Board of HFTP.
He received “Excellence in Research-Tenured” award from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee in 2016 and 2019. He is the recipient of International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s Stevenson W. Fletcher Achievement Award in 2020. He has taught courses in six different countries. He has been invited as a keynote speaker to more than 15 conferences. He received 13 best paper awards from International conferences. In 2013, he was named as a “Fellow” by Academy for Global Business Advancement (AGBA).
Prior to joining the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Dr. Cobanoglu served as an Associate Professor of hospitality information technology at the University of Delaware. Dr. Cobanoglu is the recipient of University of Delaware’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009 and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s (I-CHRIE) John Wiley & Sons, Innovation in Teaching Award in 2009. He received his undergraduate degree from Cukurova University, Turkey, masters and doctoral degrees from Oklahoma State University, USA.
He is the Editor of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology (JHTT)(SSCI IF=6.4), editor of Journal of Global Business Insights (JGBI), and a co-author of six books and ten conference proceedings. He is also currently serving as the President of Association of North America Higher Education International (ANAHEI). Dr. Cobanoglu served as the chair of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Technology and E-Business Committee from 2009 to 2011 and also a member of CHTP Advisory Council and Editorial Advisory Board of HFTP.
He received “Excellence in Research-Tenured” award from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee in 2016 and 2019. He is the recipient of International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s Stevenson W. Fletcher Achievement Award in 2020. He has taught courses in six different countries. He has been invited as a keynote speaker to more than 15 conferences. He received 13 best paper awards from International conferences. In 2013, he was named as a “Fellow” by Academy for Global Business Advancement (AGBA).
Prior to joining the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, Dr. Cobanoglu served as an Associate Professor of hospitality information technology at the University of Delaware. Dr. Cobanoglu is the recipient of University of Delaware’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009 and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s (I-CHRIE) John Wiley & Sons, Innovation in Teaching Award in 2009. He received his undergraduate degree from Cukurova University, Turkey, masters and doctoral degrees from Oklahoma State University, USA.
Prof. HAMID REZA IRANI
Hamid Reza Irani is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tehran, Iran. Since 2016, he has served as the Editor in Chief of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Management Studies, Iran's most prestigious management journal. His research interests lie in marketing performance and management, particularly within the tourism and healthcare sectors. He is a reviewer for several esteemed academic journals, including Tourism Review, Regional Science Policy & Practice, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, and Electronic Commerce Research.